News 

LTK Supporting Metro-North and Connecticut DOT in Launch of M8 New Haven Line Fleet

Metro-North Railroad introduced its first new M8 Electric Multiple Unit train to rave reviews from the riding public on March 1, 2011. These New Haven Line cars, funded by both the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, feature bigger windows, a redesigned interior, LED signs that display stations and automated announcements. LTK is supporting ConnDOT and Metro-North in this major procurement of 380 new generation cars being built by Kawasaki.   Learn more in this video...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6teuy6X3OI    

Washington Metro Selects LTK as Vehicle Engineering Consultant

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) selected LTK Engineering Services to provide comprehensive technical services for the Metrorail car fleet, including procurement support for the new 7000-Series rail cars and a wide range of non-revenue maintenance of way vehicles.  Services to be provided by LTK may include specification development, design and design review, manufacturing oversight, engineering analysis, expert assessment and correction of technical issues, and support in all aspects of rail car procurement, rehabilitation, repair and maintenance.  The contract term is ten years, with all options exercised.

LTK will support WMATA as it brings 428 new railcars to Washington, replacing older 1000-Series cars and providing rolling stock for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail extension. The cars establish important new standards for WMATA, including a stainless steel carbody and an Ethernet-based train communications network.  They will include a number of new passenger amenities, such as seats that are taller and more ergonomically designed, and enhanced LCD/LED displays to provide real-time train information with a dynamic route map.

With WMATA operating at or beyond practical capacity during some periods, the new car layout is estimated to accommodate five additional passengers per car or 40 additional passengers per 8-car train.  Car doors will be located closer to the centerpoint, encouraging more uniform loading of each car.

The 7000-Series cars enhance safety as well, with exterior emergency door activation capability as well as a video surveillance system with improved sight lines for security cameras.  The car end design supports easier movement between cars than earlier designs.

Metrorail is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, serving more than 750,000 daily rail riders as of March 2011.  

LTK Caps More Than Quarter Century of TriMet Systems Design with Portland-Milwaukie Rail Transit Project Selection

LTK was recently selected by Portland TriMet for systems final design of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit project, continuing more than a quarter-century of systems design work for one of America’s most dynamic light rail operations. LTK will be responsible for:

• signal system design, including automatic block signaling, interlockings, highway grade crossing warning systems, and train-to-wayside communications,
• communications system design, including CCTV, central control and passenger information systems,
• traction power system design, including substations and the overhead contact system,
• systemwide electrical design, including conduits and ductbank, lighting, grounding, and traction power pole foundations, and
• light rail vehicle specification, procurement, and contract administration support. 

This selection follows LTK’s involvement in systems design for all of TriMet’s corridors, beginning with the Banfield Corridor Light Rail Project (now referred to as the Eastside Line) more than 25 years ago.

The Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project includes some 7.3 miles of new route, connecting Portland State University in downtown Portland, inner Southeast Portland, Milwaukie and north Clackamas County. Light rail service on the alignment is scheduled to begin in 2015. By 2030, the line is projected to carry more than 22,000 weekday riders.  The project entered final design, expected to take about one year, with the March 29, 2011 approval of the FTA.

LTK’s selection comes on the heels of TriMet’s announcement of record ridership in April, 2011. TriMet posted record ridership of 8.7 million in April, a 2.2 percent increase from a year ago. Light rail weekday ridership increased by 10.5 percent from a year earlier. 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

 
WTS PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIPS

LTK supports WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION (WTS) and the Carmen E. Turner, the Suzanne B. Axworthy, and the Sylvia Alston Scholarships that are open to graduate and undergraduate students. The purpose of these scholarships is to encourage women to pursue careers in transportation.

The competition is open to women with a GPA of 3.0 or higher who plan to pursue a career in transportation and who are currently enrolled in a degree program in a transportation-related field such as engineering, planning, finance or logistics. A copy each of the Graduate and Undergraduate applications is attached, along with the descriptions of the scholarships.

The WTS Philadelphia Scholarship applications are due in October and awarded in December. The two top recipients of the Philadelphia Chapter scholarship are then submitted as candidates for the WTS Foundation Scholarships, awarded in May of the following year.

For information about WTS www.wtsinternational.org 

COMTO / LTK NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

2009 - Francis Udenta, Civil Engineering, Morgan State University

2008 - Kurt Frazer, Transportation Engineering, Northeastern University

 JOHN RAYMOND VOLLMAR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Drexel University College of Engineering - Honors Day
Established in 1998, The JOHN RAYMOND VOLLMAR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP is awarded to a sophomore, pre-junior or junior majoring in Architectural, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Materials or Mechanical Engineering in recognition of academic excellence. Students with an expressed interest and / or experience in the field of urban mass transportation are given preference.  To date, the Scholarship Fund has received $104,697 in contributions, including the match by LTK Engineering Services. Since 1998, 25 scholarships have been awarded totaling more than $38,000.

John Raymond Vollmar's Legacy - During the 1960s, LTK’s leadership in the rail transit industry was developed by its initial work for PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corporation) also called the Lindenwold Line, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and various agencies in the New York metropolitan area, beginning with the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), the Tri-State Transportation Commission and, later, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). John R. (Ray) Vollmar’s impact on the firm and the industry is best illustrated by these client relationships, each of which continues to this day.

The John Raymond Vollmar Endowed Scholarship - In August 1997, LTK Engineering Services and the rail transportation industry lost a respected friend and colleague when Ray Vollmar died after a brief illness. As a lasting tribute to honor Ray’s significant contributions to our firm, as well as the rail transportation industry at large, LTK Engineering Services has established The John Raymond Vollmar Memorial Scholarship Fund at Ray’s alma mater, Drexel University.   The entire Vollmar family celebrates Drexel Honors Day held in February of each year.

Photo (L to R): Front Row: 2009 recipients: Anthony Mecca, Li Hao Jain, Avishek Nandi, Second Row: Mrs. Vollmar, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Vollmar, Third Row: Pam Caldwell, Vollmar family friend, Paul Vollmar, Christopher Lawlor-LTK CFO. 

[CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE]

 Scholarship recipients are:

The 2010 JOHN RAYMOND VOLLMAR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Adrian Ambrus - Adrian worked in our Ambler Office as an Engineering Assistant from March through September, 2009 as part of Drexel University’s co-op program.  His major is Mechanical Engineering with a Cumulative GPA of 3.93.  Adrian’s other honors and awards include:  Performing Arts Scholarship, September 2009 to Present; Dean’s List, 2007 to Present; Member of Pennoni Honors College, 2007 to Present; and Bronze Medal, Romanian National Mathematics Olympiad, 2006 and 2007.  Adrian is a member of Drexel Guitar Ensemble (2008 to Present); Drexel Smart House (2008); Committee of Seventy Election Oversight (2008) and People to People Student Ambassadors Leadership Summit, UCLA (2007).

Magdalena M. Bielinski - Magdalena is majoring in Electrical Engineering, with a Cumulative GPA of 3.96.  Madgalena’s other honors and awards include:  Exelon Endowed Scholarship, 2008 to Present; Dean’s List, 2007 to Present; Pennoni Honors, 2007 to Present.  Magdalena is also active in Pennoni Honors College Peer Mentoring, (2009 to Present); College of Engineering Peer Mentoring, (2009 to Present); North America Scholar Consortium—Highest Honors Member, (2009 to Present); Computation Lab III Undergraduate Teacher’s Assistant (2009); and National Society of Collegiate Scholars, (2008 to Present).

Li Jian - Li was a Mechanical Engineering Intern in our Ambler Office, September 2008 to March 2009.  Li is a Mechanical Engineering Major with a Cumulative GPA of 3.63.  His other awards include: Drexel University Dean’s Scholarship; Dean’s List and the White Williams Scholarship.  This is the second year Li was honored as a Vollmar scholarship recipient.

Marie LaPosta - Marie is presently working in our Ambler Office as a Drexel Co-op.  In 2008 Marie studied abroad in Budapest.  Marie has a Cumulative GPA of 3.76.  Marie’s other honors include:  Exelon Endowed Scholarship Recipient, 2007 to 2009; National Society of Collegiate Scholars, inducted 2007; Drexel University Dean’s List, consecutive since Spring 2007; AJ Drexel Scholarship Recipient, 2006; ASME Clarke Scholarship Recipient, 2006 and National Merit Scholarship Finalist, 2006.  Marie’s extracurricular activities include: Drexel ASCE Concrete Canoe Team; Indoor Aerial Robotics Competition; American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Middle East Technical University International Summer School—Studied Turkish history and politics in Ankara.

PHOTO - 2010 - (L-R) Front Row: Marie LaPosta, Li Jian and Adrian Ambrus, Back Row: Chris Lawlor, LTK and Paul Vollmar, LTK (not pictured: Magdalena Bielinski) presented at Drexel University Annual Honors’ Day, February 17, 2010 

The 2009 JOHN RAYMOND VOLLMAR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Li Hao Jain - Mechanical Engineering (June 2012) and a LTK Engineering Services Intern

Avishek Nandi - Mechanical Engineering (June 2010)  and a LTK Engineering Services Intern

Anthony Mecca - Civil Engineering (June 2010)

PHOTO - 2009 - (L-R) Anthony Mecca, Li Hao Jain, Avishek Nandi presented at Drexel University Annual Honors’ Day, February 18, 2009

The 2008 JOHN RAYMOND VOLLMAR ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP